Chapter 15 : Jomi

I'm jolted awake the next morning by the metallic screeching of the cage door opening.

"Come on! Out!" Helena barks. "Wake up!"

I blink uncomprehendingly. She bangs on top of the cage to stir Lily and I into action. I crawl out and stand upright, feeling the stiffness in my body. I glance back to Lily, who looks equally miserable. Helena and Gabriel hastily start stripping off our leather harnesses, and unlock the collars off our necks. Astoundingly, we've had our heels on through this entire nightmarish ordeal.

After we're bare-- except for our heels-- Helena grabs me by the arm and rushes us into the hall. I feel a detached concern for what's in store for us next. We're directed through a door, and I'm surprised to find us back in Fabien's office.

Mistress Elizabeth, who was sitting in one of the chairs in front of Fabien's desk, shoots up to her feet. Shock and horror registers on her face. The hands let go of my arm, and I collapse onto the floor. Lily follows next to me.

"Oh my god!" Mistress Elizabeth exclaims. Her expression immediately darkens as she wheels back to face Fabien sitting behind the desk.

"Fabien, you fuck!

What did you do?!"

She dashes over, kneels, and assesses the both of us. Her eyebrows are contorted in concern. She reaches each hand out to squeeze our shoulders. "Are you okay? Are you okay?" she whispers.

Mistress Elizabeth's eyes harden. Rage boils up on her face. Her mouth twists into a severe frown. She rises and turns towards Fabien.

"You stupid mother fucker!

We have a code! You've crossed the line!" I've never witnessed her losing her shit like this.

Fabien keeps his cool. "Elizabeth, please." He holds his hands up. "The Clients demand to see what they want to see. You know that."

He pauses for a moment as he observes her fury. "Maaaybe things got out of hand."

"Out of hand!?"

she shrieks. "My people are not yours to abuse."

Fabien pouts. "This is my operation. I do what I want." Mistress Elizabeth's nostrils flare, incensed at his words.

Fabien shifts his tone. "Besides, I didn't force them to do

this."

He taps on a keyboard, and swings the monitor to face her. A video plays. It's a view of Lily and I in the cage from last night. Lily is mounted onto me as we fuck. I'm mortified that we're again recorded and viewable by this man.

Mistress Elizabeth strides towards him, and slaps him across the face. Then again. And two more times. He holds his hands out in meek defense. "Elizabeth!"

"You dickless dumbshit," she seethes. She points down at us. "I will not stand for any of

this.

I'm bringing this directly to the Board. There will be sanctions."

Fabien finally seems rattled. He stands from his chair. "Wait, now Elizabeth." His voice trembles. "Let's just keep our cool here."

"You're fucking done, Fabien." She's shorter than he is, but he cowers as she leans towards him. "I'm going to rain down destruction onto your sad, sorry operation. We're talking extinction level event here. When I'm through fist fucking you, any time you eat, the food will just fall out of the gape you used to know as your asshole!"

She turns and barks, "Pick them up! Gently! Get them to the cars!"

I turn to finally notice two of the beefier Servers of Mistress Elizabeth's that flank the entrance. They approach Lily and I. One of Servers swipes a couple of throw blankets off of the leather chairs, and they swaddle us within them. I've seen them around in Eden. I really wish I could recall their names. The bald Server bends down towards me and lifts me in his arms. I fail to muster any words of gratitude.

As I'm carried towards the exit, I watch Fabien step towards Mistress Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, come now. Let's calm down and be reasonable--"

Mistress Elizabeth spins towards him-- right elbow cocked back-- and lands a solid punch to his nose. Fabien stumbles backwards and cups his nose with both hands. Blood spurts out between his fingers.

"Jesus!" he proclaims, somewhat more nasally. He gingerly taps the bridge of his nose and winces. "Fuck, Elizabeth! I think you broke my nose!"

She snorts loudly. "That Parisian penis on your face!?

It's an improvement!"

She storms out of the office, kicking the door open.

The Servers-- with Lily and I in their arms-- follow her. We quickly reach the exterior of the building. The Servers deposit us in the backseat of a black SUV. Mistress Elizabeth scrambles into the front passenger seat. The Servers close the doors, and disappear into a second vehicle.

James, the driver, shoots a quick look of concern at Lily and I in the rear view mirror, before shifting the SUV into drive. Mistress Elizabeth twists back to face us.

"What the hell happened?! Are you both okay? I'm so sorry! I didn't know he was going to--" She trails off. Her eyes lift to Lily's forehead. The word

CUNT

is smeared and partially faded.

"E..." Lily croaks softly. She looks pained. "How could you let this happen?"

Lily's eyes finally fill with tears. She pulls her knees up to her chest, and folds into a fetal position. She burrows her face into her limbs. Mistress Elizabeth looks stricken. She opens her mouth, but remains silent. She looks over at me. I shake my head, and turn to look out the window.

***

The next week or so is a haze. My Client appointments are canceled. I skip all classes. I just stay in my room, in bed. Melissa deposits meals in front of my door. I have no appetite. Several of the Talent text to check on me. A few knock on the door. The first was Sreeni.

"Lisa, sweetie," I hear her through the door. "I'm here to talk if you want. I want to see how you're doing."

I don't respond.

"Well, I'm available to you whenever you need, okay? You don't have to deal with this on your own. You have people here who care for you, remember that."

It takes a few minutes before I hear her walk away.

Later, the digital panel next to my bed chimes and lights up. "Mistress Lisa?"

It's Melissa. "Would you like a massage from Server Jenna? Perhaps that would be comforting for you?"

I can't stand the thought of anyone touching me. Or seeing me naked. "No, thank you," I call out.

"As you wish," Melissa's voice replies. "Please let me know if you need anything." The panel goes dark.

On another day, the door knocks. "Lisa?"

It's Mistress Elizabeth. "Lisa, may I come in?"

Reluctantly, I roll out of bed and open the door. Mistress Elizabeth faces me, mouth tightened, looking concerned. I step back to let her in. She paces around, then walks over to the windows and pulls back the curtains. Sunlight streams into the space for the first time in days. I squint at the harsh brightness.

Mistress Elizabeth turns and sits in the desk chair. She looks at me with somber eyes. I stand unmoving by the door.

"I need to apologize to you," she says. "I would've

never

placed you in that situation if I knew what he had planned. I didn't want you there at all, but my hands were tied--" She pauses. "--there was nothing I could do."

I remain mute.

"I know that you're hurting, and I-- everyone here-- is committed to helping you in whatever way you need. Just say the word. On anything.

"I've met with the Board," she continues. "They're as abhorred as I am about the incident. Fabien--"

"I don't want to hear his name," I interrupt. "I don't care what you do to him. I just never want to think about him ever again."

She nods. "If you need time, that's totally understandable," she says. "It may be good for you to get out of this room. Out of this building. Get some fresh air and sunshine. I'm arranging for you to get your own apartment. It's being set up now. You'll have access in a few days."

I nod vacantly.

"Also, there's a class... not exactly a class. More like a group session. Called Support. We have it for any of our people to help deal with any traumatic incidents. Work related or personal, it doesn't matter. It's proven helpful. I'd like for you to try to attend... when you feel up for it.

"For now, I'd love for you just to step out of this room soon. It might help you to just see a few friendly faces. Please do that for me?"

I nod. I want to be angry at her. I want to blow up and chew her out. But I just feel hollow.

She sits for a few more moments of silence. "Okay, I'll leave you be. I'll check on you in a day or so, okay?"

***

I don't immediately follow her orders, but I do venture out to the cafeteria eventually. It was more that I felt guilty for leaving so many people in a state of worry. Everyone who was around immediately rushes towards me. I remember Mari and Julia giving me bear hugs.

Word had gotten around about Lily and I's ordeal, but their grasp of the details is murky. I didn't offer much insight other than it was pretty awful. Enough was known about Fabien for people to fill in some blanks.

One of the things I find out through the gossip is that Mistress Elizabeth had Lab Techs scrape through all of Fabien's computers and network to erase videos of our incident there.

Unfortunately, Fabien-- or one of his lackeys-- had taken the video of Lily and I's first encounter, and uploaded it to a porn video site. From there, it would be impossible to remove from existence. We were out there for all to see for the rest of time.

I also heard that Lily took a leave of absence. No one has seen her since the day we got back.

Some of the guys were especially fired up. Ryan talked about beating the shit out of Fabien. He was pacing around The Loft and fuming. I'd never seen the angry side of Ryan before. It was kind of sweet that it surfaced for my welfare.

Sreeni shows up a bit later, and pushes her way towards me to give me a tight hug. She whispers comforting words to me, her eyes filled with tears. It was quite touching actually.

"You're strong," she repeatedly murmurs into my ear. "You're strong."

It's gratifying to receive the care and attention, but I also feel a mixture of embarrassment and not wanting to be the focus of pity.

I end up retreating back to my room soon after. I can't cry or feel rage. I'm just flat. It's more annoying than if I could just let it out with a tantrum.

I constantly hold my phone, on the verge of messaging Paige. But I can't figure out what to type. It feels unfair to burden her with this. My mind occasionally drifts towards Lily, and I nearly hit Send on a message to her. But I always chicken out in the end.

***

By the end of the next week, I get notice that my outside apartment is ready. I'm escorted by Melissa and James. I'm mildly surprised when we pull up to the same building that Lily's apartment is in. A detached memory of walking up these steps to pick up Elizabeth for our date pops into my head.

I'd heard chatter about Mistress Elizabeth owning buildings. This is apparently one of them, and houses any Talent that's given the freedom to leave Eden.

We climb up to the second floor. I recall that Lily's is on the fourth. Melissa unlocks the door and hands me the key. She and James deposit bags of clothes and toiletries.

I approach the kitchen counter to find a welcome bag with snacks and candy. Melissa tells me the fridge has been stocked. If I need anything else or a grocery run, she'd take care of it.

I look around the space. The layout is the same as Lily's, just without any personalization. There's furniture, but it seems generic. Like a hotel room. Except the walls are bare. Melissa apologetically explains that there hadn't been time to fully decorate the space.

Soon, Melissa and James depart, leaving me alone in the apartment. What was intended as a refuge just seems more isolating. Sitting in an alien setting, I feel as if there's no one else in the world. Like I'm the lone survivor after some apocalyptic fallout.

I sit on the couch, restlessly. I test out a chair. Then another. I can't feel settled. My body is pent up with anxious energy. I pace through the entire layout of the apartment several times. I flick light switches on and off absently.

Then it hits me-- I'm not stuck in here! One of the benefits of being out of Eden is that I can just step out and escape anywhere! It's been forever since I had the freedom to just go out and wander. I instantly feel excited and energized.

I unzip one of the clothes bags, and dig out a striped red shirt and some faded jeans. I find some brown ankle boots and a beige cardigan, in case it's cold. I don the outfit, grab my phone, and spring out of the building and onto the street.

I'm immediately immersed into the foot traffic of the sidewalk. It feels wonderful to blend in as a normal person going about a normal day.

The street is noisy and the odor from the trash bins is revolting, but I still feel jubilant. I walk refreshed, with no particular destination in mind.

I wander through a small park, taking in the sights of the greenery and the people enjoying their day. Dog owners sit and let their pets run around in the sectioned off dog park. A medley of barks and yips fills the air. Other people are faced off at concrete chess tables. More are just lounging on benches, deep in conversations. I can't help but grin at the sights and sounds.

"You've got a beautiful smile!" an elderly man calls out to me from a bench as I pass. I'm caught off guard by his comment. I faintly smile at him as I quicken my pace.

I exit the park and head down another street. This one is lined with more restaurants and bars. I decide that I'm way overdue for a drink and set off for the nearest bar. The floors are composed of small black and white tiles, dingy and dirty. The furniture looks cheap, and the walls are bare. It's drab, but still bustling with people. I must've caught the after work crowd.

Luckily, most of the patrons are grouped at tables, and there are several spots at the bar. I post up on a red stool and wait for a bartender. A young guy behind the bar comes over to take my order.

"Gin and tonic," I say to him. He nods and grabs a glass.

"No wait!" I call out. "Can I get a vodka martini, dirty?" He nods and grabs a different glass.

Moments later, he presents my drink. I hold it up.

Cheers to Lily. And fuck you, Fabien!

I take a gulp and nearly choke as I cough. Fuck! How does Lily drink these?

"Hey there."

A guy materializes on the stool next to mine. "Can I buy you a drink?"

I glance at him. He's got a tan complexion and black hair. His shirt is one undone button too many. The watch on his wrist looks expensive. And his teeth are alarmingly too white.

"Uh, no thanks. I've got one already." I hold up my glass.

He flashes a blinding smile. "Martini... classy! Well, do you want some company?"

I choke down another sip. "No, I don't. I really don't. Please, I just came in because I wanted a drink."

"Sure, I get it," he continues. "But you should be open minded. You never know what surprises might come!"

I roll my eyes. "No thanks."

I spin away. I hear him loudly click his tongue, but he mercifully slinks off. I get past two more sips when the bartender arrives with another martini. I look at him confused. He smiles, slightly embarrassed.

"This is from the gentleman over there." He points over further down the bar.

A balding man in his forties waves, and then starts to make his way over.

"For fuck's sake," I mutter.

The bartender gives a slight shrug. "Let me know if you need me to come over and bail you out." He leaves as the other man walks up to my side.

"Hello."

"Hi," I manage to sigh.

"Hello," he says again. He forces a wide, unnerving grin.

A torturous silence ensues. I gawk at him.

"I'm Aaron. I bought you that drink." He points at the extra martini in front of me.

"So I'm told. But I'm not exactly done with my first drink yet." I gesture at my half full glass.

"Oh that's okay," he says, as he begins to climb onto the stool next to me.

"Wait, wait." I hold my hand out at him. "I'm sorry, but I kind of want to be alone right now. You understand, right?"

He frowns with a confused look. "But I bought you a drink."

"Uh huh," I say incredulously. "But I didn't ask for the drink. I'm not

done

with my current drink. I don't even

know

if I wanted a second drink."

"Then don't drink the drink," he says with a frazzled tone.

"Thank you for your permission," I shoot back sarcastically.

"Isn't it customary for a girl to talk to a man when he buys her a drink?"

I glare at him. His stupid paisley yellow tie is rankling my nerves. "Look, guy--"

"It's Aaron--"

"I don't care. A woman isn't obligated to slather attention onto you just because you

forced

a drink on her." I hear my own voice rising over the rest of the bar chatter. I'm making a scene. I grab my own glass and down the rest of the martini in a series of gulps. I feel like I might retch.

"Here," I say to him, my breath hot with booze, "I'll pay for this

second

martini and let you off the hook. Okay? You're free to go."

He looks at me stunned, but finally skulks away. I turn to the bartender, who was witnessing the scene. "What do I owe you?" I bark in an agitated tone.

He grins in amusement. "Don't worry about it."

I slide off the stool, and exit the bar quickly. The sun is setting, but the light still hits my eyes enough to cause me to wince. My head feels wobbly from either the alcohol or the interactions. Probably a combination of both. I think I've had enough

fresh air.

I begin walking back in the direction of my apartment.

I get a few blocks further when I hear, "Hey beautiful!"

I lower my head and continue my stride.

"Awww c'mon, mama! I just want to talk to you!"

As I gain distance from whoever it is, I hear him yell, "You have nice tits, bitch!"

I cross my arms in front of my chest and walk faster. Luckily, the caller doesn't follow. But I'm more conscious of all the male eyes on me on the streets. I sense them, like x-rays, boring into my body.

Ugh, I feel utterly defeated. My mood is a complete one eighty from when I first stepped out from my building. I can't get to my apartment fast enough to hide away from the public.

***

As I slide the key into my door, I pause.

Should I?

I look up at the ceiling as if that will provide any insight. I bite my lip, and then wheel around to head up to the fourth floor. I reach the door and knock. I hear shuffling, and then the viewfinder sliding open on the peephole.

"What the fuck," I hear muffled from behind the door.

Locks unlatch and the door swings open. "What the hell are you doing here?" Lily asks.

Her hair is unkempt. She's got no makeup on. There are dark areas under her eyes. She's wearing a black t-shirt with the Beatles marching across Abbey Road. It's a worn down shirt that extends down to her thighs. I can't tell if she's wearing anything besides the shirt.

"Uhhh... I was just-- I figure I'd try and check in on you," I manage to stammer out. "I wasn't even sure you'd be here."

Lily scoffs. "Where else would I be?"

I look at her blankly.

"How are you even out?" she asks.

"I was actually given an apartment," I answer. "I'm on the second floor."

"What?" She looks annoyed. "Ugh, perfect."

We stand in silence for a moment. She shakes her head impatiently. "Well? What do you want?"

"I--" This is not going how I imagined. "I dunno. I wanted to make sure you're okay. See if you wanted to talk?"

"About what?"

"About what?!"

I become incensed. "Are you kidding?"

She sighs. "Look. What happened happened. Nothing we can do about it. I'm over it."

"You're

over

it? It as in the horrible shit we were forced into doing? I can't stop thinking about it. It's fucking me up. I thought you of all people would be someone I could talk to about it. The only other person that knows what-- what I'm-- why I feel so fucked up." I can feel my emotions taking hold.